Organic Mulches for the Vegetable Garden

Even the newest gardener realizes the magic of using mulch in the vegetable garden as an excellent weed barrier, water retainer, and tempurature fluctuation reducer that can affect plant root systems.

👉Compost
Compost not only builds soil texture, tilth, has nutrients that leach immediately into the soil — it works the same way as every other mulch. Use generous amounts from your compost bin (or pile) for the ultimate in mulch for the vegetable garden.
👉Dry Leaves
Gather copious amounts of dry, fall leaves and use them in your vegetable bed immediately after collecting them. Come spring you’ll have nice humousy soil for planting.
👉Newspaper or Cardboard
Newspaper is one of the handiest gardening tools ever an it’s fabulous as an organic mulch. Newspaper 100% biodegradable and the critters in the soil love it.
👉Straw and Seedless Hay
Straw and seedless hay are terrific for the vegetable garden, but be sure to layer it on thick.
👉Grass Clippings
I still like to use them as mulch around young tomato plants and other veggies that enjoy a nitrogen boost. Grass clippings break down so quickly that they tend to warm up the soil, which is a great side effect in the spring vegetable garden.

A garden that’s been mulched needs little cultivating, less watering, and because of these things, will yield a maximum amount of fruit.